Rosh Hashanah 4:1-2

Rosh Hashanah Chapter 4

Halachah 1

Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah that falls to be on Shabbat, in the Beit HaMikdash they would blow (the shofar) and elsewhere they wouldn't. After the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed, Rebbi Yochanan ben-Zakkai decreed that they should blow (the shofar) in every place that has a Beit Din. Rebbi Eliezer said: Rebbi Yochanan ben-Zakkai only decreed that they should blow it in Yavneh alone. They said to him: Yavneh as well as any place that has a Beit Din.

Yerushalmi

If it is a Mitzvah D'Oraita, it should be that they blow the shofar even outside of the Beit HaMikdash, and if not, they should not blow the shofar even in the Beit HaMikdash.

• Yom Teruah (Day of Blowing) (Bamidbar 29:1) - Yom Chol (Weekday)
• Zichron Teruah (A Rememberance of Blowing) (Vayikra 23:24) - Shabbat

From this, even in the Beit HaMikdash, it shouldn't be blown on Shabbat.

It says "On the first of the month" (Vayikra 23:24), i.e. only in a place where it is known with certainty that it is the 1st of the month, meaning the Beit HaMikdash (when the Sanhedrin was there, the new month would be declared in the Beit HaMikdash). Then it should be any place where it is known with certainty (i.e. where the Sanhedrin sits, including Yavneh, etc). Rashbi says that the next verse says "you shall bring an offering", so it must be in a place where offerings are brought (the Beit HaMikdash).

Furthermore, by the shofar of Yom Kippur's Yovel, it says that the shofar should be in the whole land (Vayikra 25:9), meaning that this one (Rosh Hashanah's Shofar) shouldn't necessarily be in the whole land, if it falls on Shabbat.

Bavli (29b)

From where do we get this that there is a difference between Shabbat and Yom Chol (regarding blowing of the shofar)? One verse says a Yom Teruah and another says Zichron Teruah. Not a problem:

• Yom Teruah - Yom Chol
• Zichron Teruah - Shabbat

Rava asks: If it is D'Oraita (to not blow on Shabbat), how can they do so in the Beit HaMikdash? Furthermore, blowing of the shofar is not a form of labor which is prohibited on Yom Tov.

Rather, it is permitted to blow the shofar on Shabbat from the Torah, but since not everyone is learned in how to blow the shofar, the rabbis instituted a decree to not blow on Shabbat, lest one walk 4 amot in the public domain, which is the reason for (not taking a) Lulav, and (not reading) the Megillah (on Shabbat).

Halachah 2

And also in this way, Yerushalayim was a higher level than Yavneh: That every city that could see and hear (Yerushalayim) and is close and can come, they can also blow (shofar on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat), and in Yavneh they would not blow except in the Beit Din alone.

Yerushalmi

All these things must have been there to qualify (seeing, hearing, and being close enough to come). For seeing, if a mountain is in the way, that disqualifies. For hearing, Yerushalayim is up higher and the other city is too low. For closeness to come, like a river stops in between or it is outside of Techum Shabbat. Even without an eiruv.

So why don't these apply to Yavneh (to make all the cities that are nearby and can hear and see able to blow Shofar on Shabbat as well)? Because Yerushalayim is a Mitzvah D'Oraita as mentioned, whereas Yavneh is a Takanah (rabbinical ordinance) and we do not make a Takanah on a Takanah.

If the Beit Din leaves their place, then individuals (in Yavneh) no longer can blow the shofar. What if it is even from room to room? Rebbi Simon says: Only place to place I have heard.

Bavli (30a)

What is "and also in this way" (from the Mishnah)? It should have been "in this way", but rather in Yerushalayim, individuals would blow the shofar, and in Yavneh, individuals wouldn't (i.e. only the Beit Din's emissary). But this cannot be, for it is told that when the Shliach Tzibbur would finish blowing the shofar, you couldn't hear anything from all the shofars that could be heard (i.e. everyone else blew their shofar after him). But rather, in Yerushalayim they would blow the shofar regardless of whether or not the it was the time of the Beit Din (Rashi defines the time of the Beit Din as up to mid-day), but in Yavneh it would only be at the time of the Beit Din, and in the Beit Din's presence.

What about if the Beit Din have decided to leave, but haven't actually gotten up yet?

Teiku.

All these things must have been there to qualify (seeing, hearing, and being close enough to come). For seeing, if a mountain is in the way, that disqualifies. For hearing, Yerushalayim is up higher and the other city is too low. For closeness to come, like a river stops in between or it is outside of Techum Shabbat.